SC places Tayyaba in an orphanage till parents identified

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court decided that Tayyaba will stay at Pakistan Sweet Homes, an orphanage, till her parents are identified. 

Police on Wednesday took 10-year-old Tayyaba to the Supreme Court. The little girl had changed into a clean pair of clothes, a red hairband holding her hair back-- a stark contrast from the rags she wore when she was first recovered. The wounds on her eye and lip had visibly healed, but a white bandage tightly wrapped her hand. 

A man named Azam arrived at the Supreme Court claiming to be Tayyaba's father. He told the CJ that he had three children of which Tayyaba was his eldest.

Druing the proceedings today, the CJ asked Azam when had he sent Tayyaba away for work.

Azam explained in August 2016, his neighbour took Tayyaba away to look for work. She told him that Tayyaba's work involved only babysitting and playing with children. He recognised his child after news channels flashed her injured and bruised pictures.

Elaborating on the out-of-court settlement Azam told the court that the additional judge had asked him to stamp his fingerprint on a paper if he wanted to get back his daughter. “I cannot read or write. I did not know what was written on the paper

Tayyaba's medical report was submitted to the court. According to her medical report, 22 torture marks were found on Tayyaba’s body, including marks from bruises and burns. A wound measuring one square centimetre was also found next to her right eye. The report also stated that the 10-year-old Tayyaba suffers from mental stress but her condition is improving gradually.

The case of the alleged torture of the maid caught the media's attention after she was recovered from the residence of Additional Sessions Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan, early this month.

The minor girl, whose face and hands bore torture marks, had initially denied being hurt by her employers. She told the police that she got a wound to her eye after falling from the stairs, while her hand was also burnt accidentally.

However, the poor girl narrated her ordeal after being politely inquired by a female magistrate later. She stated before the magistrate that she was beaten and her hand was burnt on the stove for losing the broom.

Things took a turn, the matter was settled out of court last week and, according to the child’s father, the parents had forgiven the actions in the way of the Almighty.

The Chief Justice took suo moto notice of the case, however the child and her father mysteriously disappeared then.

After the Supreme Court ordered that the child be produce in court, police sprung to action. Tayyaba was recovered from the suburbs of Islamabad on Sunday.